Accuser Must Testify in Open Court, Bashir Made to Testify UPDATE #4

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE #4: JAN 28 2005 — Major blows to the prosecution and to Martin Bashir by way of new court rulings today in the Jackson “case”. While the judge will allow adult material to be shown to the jury, he will not allow large amonts of irrelevant or non-Jackson owned material in like prosecutors requested. Judge Rodney Melville will force Martin Bashir to testify at trial, but he will not be gagged like other witnesses. Bashir had filed a motion challenging the subpoena by citing the California Shield Law. The judge rejected that argument. The judge ruled against the prosecution in allowing the ABC News version of the Bashir “documentay” in. He ruled that the jury can see the European version of the Martin Bashir documentary. Those who have seen both have said the American version was even more sensationalistic than the European version. The American version was also edited down from the European version. The defense argued against allowing it in, but asked the judge that if it was to be allowed in, they wanted to show the outtake footage taken when Jackson’s own cameras were rolling as Bashir was interviewing Jackson. As you know, Jackson caught Bashir on tape saying the exact opposite of what he later told the public, concerning everything from comments about Jackson’s Neverland Ranch to his relationship with his children. For example, at one point in the footage Jackson’s cameras recorded, Bashir could be heard telling Jackson “Your relationship with your children is spectacular!” When he appeared later in the media to promote his “documentary”, he said the exact opposite. According to reports, the judge will “defer” a decision on a defense request as to whether or not to show Jackson’s outtake footage shot by his own photographer during the Bashir interviews. Two other big rulings which went in the defense’s favor is that the accuser must testify in open court and the accusing family can’t be referred to as “victims” until closing arguments. Prosecutors initially wanted him hidden from public view. The defense seemed outraged that prosecutors would even ask for the public to be shielded from seeing the testimony. No sketch artists will be allowed when the accuser testifies, but reporters will be allowed in. The judge in the case also ruled that prosecutors could show the jury “adult” material seized from Neverland, but can’t call it “pornography”, “obscene”, or “erotic”. Also sccording to CNN’s Miguel Marquez, the judge ruled that what Sneddon seized from 1993 is out. Stay tuned to MJEOL for the latest information or click over to the Official Jan 28 Hearing topic for information as it develops. -MJEOL